newkerala.com - brings you latest news, info & entertainment

Jordan most easygoing Middle East destination: CNN

News Delhi, Mar 26 IBNS | 1 year ago

According to a recent online report by CNN, Jordan is one of most "easygoing destinations in the Middle East" And apart from being "easygoing", CNN lists multiple reasons to visit this beautiful country! The hospitable and polite Bedouin culture; stunning landscapes; eco-friendly accommodation options; fabulous food; quiet and peaceful atmosphere; enriching cultural tours; well-preserved ruins; Biblical tours; the King's Highway that is the Middle East's best road trip; and of course the 'new seven wonders of the world' Petra!

The entire area around the site of Petra offers dramatic and varied landscapes. The canyons and high places are a maze of wind-sculptured rocks, tiny meandering tracks and secluded valleys, where the only sound is the tinkling of goat bells or the reedy notes of a shepherd's flute. It is, in effect, an adventurer's playground. This is a great place for walking, trekking, horseback riding and off-road cycling.

To visit Petra during daylight is awe-inspiring; but to experience it at night by the light of 1,800 candles is truly out-of-this-world! Walk through the Siq to the Khazneh following a candle-lit path and enjoy the haunting music of the Bedouins at the Treasury. Tours start at 8.30pm and finish at 10.00pm every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Tickets can be purchased from the Petra Site Office at the entrance to the site. Allow yourself plenty of time to walk through the Siq - you don't want to miss the lights!

Another must-see in Jordan is Wadi Rum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is a maze of monolithic rockscapes which rise up from the desert floor to heights of 1,750m creating a natural challenge for serious mountaineers. Hikers can enjoy the tranquility of the boundless empty spaces and explore the canyons and water holes to discover 4000-year-old rock drawings and the many other spectacular treasures this vast wilderness holds in store.

Then there is the calm and placid waters of the Red Sea in Aqaba that is enticing for divers and other watersports enthusiasts. Aqaba offers a full range of facilities for speedboating, scuba diving, snorkelling, sailing, fishing, swimming, water skiing, wind surfing, or simply loafing and sunning in the warm crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea. The sparkling purple mountains surrounding Aqaba beckon hikers who seek new adventures, and unconquered terrain.

Without a doubt the world's most amazing place, the Jordan Rift Valley is a dramatic, beautiful landscape, which at the Dead Sea, is over 400m (1,312 ft.) below sea level. The lowest point on the face of the earth, this vast stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including the River Jordan.

Once the waters reach the Dead Sea they are land-locked and have nowhere to go, so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich, cocktail of salts and minerals that supply industry, agriculture and medicine with some of its finest products.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a modern, vibrant nation and one of the most politically stable countries in the Middle East.